Muir Woods parking reservations considered to ease lot gridlock

Faced with ongoing traffic issues at Muir Woods, the National Park Service is looking at establishing a parking reservation system, similar to the tickets needed to ride a ferry to Alcatraz.

Each year, the national monument draws almost 1 million visitors to take in the towering redwoods and the quiet and solitude that can be found despite the throngs. But getting to the park can be an ordeal at busy times and parking at the site can be hard to find. Motorists often end up parking on shoulders outside the main lot along Muir Woods Road.

That presents a safety hazard, threatens the health of the Redwood Creek watershed and diminishes the visitor experience, park service officials said.

"There are so many people who show up and find the lot full and then they park up and down Muir Woods Road," said Mia Monroe, superintendent at Muir Woods. "Then people have to walk down the middle of the road to get to the entrance. You see older people and strollers; it is a safety concern."

A reservation system — which would be operated by a concessionaire — is intended to be a long-term measure that will allow the park to meter the number of visitors in advance of their arrival so that congestion can be minimized, according to the park service. The park service ferry to Alcatraz operates similarly, with visitors purchasing tickets in advance for a particular time.

The system would likely operate year-round and reservations would be made through a website, a call center, on site for less busy days, and possibly at other locations. The details still need to be worked out.

"It has not been finalized, and we are seeking input from the public," Monroe said. "There are a lot of different models out there."

The cost would likely be between $10 to $12 per vehicle. The system could be up and running in 2015.

In 2005, a Muir Woods shuttle was initiated to help relieve some of the pressure to the park on weekends and holidays. Signs on Highway 101, before the Shoreline Highway exit, alert motorists if the Muir Woods parking lot is full, which occurs virtually every weekend in summer. They can then park at lots near the Highway 101/Highway 1 interchange and take a shuttle.

But that service is seasonal, between May and October, and Muir Woods is seeing large crowds all year long.

"The shuttle is working, but there are limited times of operation," said Alex Picavet, park service spokeswoman. "The attendance never really slows. There is a short break in the winter, but otherwise it is very, very busy."

In addition to a reservation system, the park plan would add a new park shuttle to operate between Panoramic Highway, near the Dias Ridge trailhead, and the shuttle drop-off area at Muir Woods. In addition, the existing use of the Muir Woods Road shoulder for parking would be reduced and regulated.

Some of the existing informal parking along Panoramic Highway between the intersections of Highway 1 and Muir Woods Road would also be regulated.

"Our attendance is growing," Monroe said, noting 6,000 people came during a single day over the Fourth of July holiday, a first for Muir Woods.

"We want people to come and enjoy their experience in the redwood forest and not have to worry about parking," she said.